Fire-alarm apparatus.



O. A ALGENL FlRE ALARM APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, \915.

1 $06,644:, lwientaad Nov. L26, 1916.

alarm apparatus and sectional view GEAZIG' ALFREDO ALGENI, 035 PRQVEIYBEIECE, P33301033 FIRE-ALARM WWO Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed November 27, 3915. Serial 130. 63,8?1. K

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that l", Onazro Arrnnno An GENI, a citizen of Italy, and residing at 105 Gray street, Providence, ldhode Island, United States of America, have invented a new and useful Fire-Alarm Apparatus, f Whicli'the following is the specification.

My invention relates to automatic fire consists of an improved thermostatically-controlled circuitclosing device for sounding an electric bell or other annunciator.

he object of my improvement is to provide a simplified form of mechanism for t e purpose described, capable of sensitive response under the efi'ect of heat, and proof against derangement or getting out of order.

he manner and means for carrying out the improvement are fully described in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters desi' nate like parts.

in the drawings l igure i is a vertical, of the complete apparatus; and Fig. 2, a plan view of the same.

' 'eferrin vice are inclosed. in a cylindrical shell or cup-shaped casing A which is preferably constructed of porcelain, glass or other vitreous material of a non-conducting na ture. Fitted to the upper rim of the casing A are two separate, ercuate strips or segments H, H of copper or other conductingmaterial, bent over the sides of the rim and held in place thereon by screws or pins D, D impinging thereagainst. Gonnected with the screws or pins l), which serve as binding-pcsts, are the positive and negative Wires K, K of an electrical circuit including a battery or other source of current and a bell, gong or similar annunciator, not herein shown.

Depending from the rim-members H, H

Within the casing A are two fiat metal strips or arms Gr converging toward each other and bent at right-angles at the bottom with their ends 2, the opposite extremities of red C. Preferably the rod C is constructed or glass, or some other non-conducting material such as rubber or vulcanite, and has fastened across its upper end a strip of metal or other conductor B, adapted to serve minals G.

to the drawings, the operating .eiements'oi my improved circuit-closing desand or other particles spaced slightly apart. As

. l I as a contact-membe for connectin the At its bottom the casing A is i a central opening surrounded b ing ange, similar to the neck o and threaded on its interior. Screw the neck or flange the casing A is a hollow plug or stopper provided with a tral opening adapted to serve as a recs, for a charge of paraffin E or any other i lar, fusible material. Preferably p. is constructed of aluminum or other having heat-co1ulucting properties. charge of paruilin E is normally maint, in a solidified state with the enu of "l tical rod C resting upon it to hold the plate or contact-strip ll raised above two terminals G.

The method of operation of the comp appar is as follows:The shell or a ing A I naced in any convenient pc itn within the building. ship or other low to be protected from fire and may he suspended from the ceiling or fastened in any 3\/ other suitable manner to maintain its a '3 vertical. The plug F is then filled paraihn or a similar substance which remain solidified under normal temp tures. in some cases where the (lBVlCGdS to be located in a building heated above normal temperature, or in Warm Gill may be mixed or the paraiiin to raise the the charge. The plug F is filled about full, as shown in 1, and when it is "3% serted the neck of the casing it will raise the red C to lift the contact-member B away from the terminals G. New, should a fire break out adjacent the apparatus heat created thereby will fuse or melt o charge of paraiiin, or other suhstence, and this will allow the rod C to drop Thetween the terminals G. The dropping oi the rod C brings the contact-member against the ends of the terminals G, thereoy completing the electrical circuit throu h t e Wires K, K and causing; the alarm tone sounded through the bell or other annunciatoras usually provided.

I am aware that it is not new in the art to employ a circuit-closing device arranged to not automatically from the ellect of heat. Various and sundry such arrangements have heretofore been proposed, but in my i improvement the mechanism of the (let 1 much simplified, its action rendered melting o" reliable, and its parts better protected from derangement or hindrance from-operation. With. the casing or container A constructed of glass the mechanism may be inspected from time to time without taking it apart, while its parts are adequately protected from dirt and dust and also against tampering with by unauthorized persons. That is to say, when the casing is attached to a ceiling or other overhead support the parts of the apparatus are inclosed against outside interference, while still being visible for inspection. It will also be observed that very few parts are required for the operating mechanism of my improved apparatus, and these being of simple construction. and easy to manufacture the cost of the device is reduced to a minimum, rendering its en'lployment in multiple for different parts of a building very economical.

lVh-at I claim for my invention is 1. in an improved thermostatic circuitclosing device, the combination with a cupshaped casing having an opening in its bottom, of a hollow stopper in said opening adapted to receive a charge of fusible substance such as parafiin, two terminals depending from the rim of the casing within its interior and connected withan electrical circuit, a rod of non-conducting material supported by the terminals to slide between their ends and normally ar 'anged with its lower end resting on the fusible charge in the stopper, and a contact-piece carried at the upper end of the rod to adapt it to make contact across the terminals when the charge fuses and allows the rod to drop.

In an automatic circuit-closing apparatus, the combination With a cup-shaped shell of non-conducting material such as lessees glass, two separate segments of conductingmaterial secured to the rim of the shell and connected to the wires of an electrical circuit, terminals depending from said segmentswithin the shell with their ends spaced apart, a non-conductor rod arranged to slide vertically in notches in the ends of the terminals, a contact-member at the upper end of the rod adapted to connect the terminals in circuit, and a plug secured in the bottom of the shell and carrying a charge of fusible material adapted in its solidified state to support the rod in raised position with the contact-member held clear of tlu terminals.

3. In a circuit-closing apparatus, the combination with a cylindrical casing of vitreous material having an opening in its bottom, of a hollow metal plug screwed into said opening to adapt it to hold a charge of fusible substancein a solidified state, metal strips bent over the rim of the casing and fastened thereto in spaced-apart relation, bindingposts on said strips for connecting electrical conductors therewith, arms extending downwardly from the strips within the casing and bent toward each other to form spaced apart terminals at their ends, a vertical rod of non-conducting material slidably supported between the ends of the terminals with its lower end resting on the fusible chargein the plug, and a contact-member mounted on the upper end of'the rod to be normally supported thereby free its act With'the terminals. v

ORAZIO ALFREDO ALGENI.

Witnesses FRANK CHIAVERINI, Francesco P. C. D. lviannmmo. 

